


love songs (drug songs)

by deadratintheattic



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Bright AU, Character Death, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Drugs, Elves, Fluff, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gay Shiro (Voltron), Gun Violence, Imps - Freeform, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Korean Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) is a Dork, Lance has asthma, M/M, Orcs, Slow Updates, and keith needs glasses but he doesn't wear them until lance forces him to, because im weak, galra - Freeform, more mythical shit, pansexual adam, there are gangs and shady shit, title from x ambassadors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-20 23:40:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15544809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deadratintheattic/pseuds/deadratintheattic
Summary: In what is an alternate present day, humans and creatures of myth have been coexisting since the beginning of time. Here, in the sprawling city of Raymont we find ourselves with two young men of differing race. Lance McClain, a human boy with a catastrophic burden he does not know he carries and Keith Kogane, a mysterious man driven nearly mad in his search for his brother, must navigate through a world of discrimination, violence, and cigarette ash.





	love songs (drug songs)

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first fic,, im really bad about updates so please be patient. oh also, i will have a chapter talking about the War that happened in this universe, in case you get confused which is okay because i work on random individual chapters depending on my mood. I'm adding this first chapter so I can force myself to get started on finishing something bc i was excited about this au. sorry about the short first chapter. consider it a sample haha. enjoy

_" We poison ourselves with gasoline fumes and smog and we call it progress." -Unknown_

 

Keith looked out across the clearing into the shadows of the alley beyond, searching. 

As the sun lowered beneath the towering spires and skyscrapers in the distance, it sent blackened shadows crawling across the ground. As they stretched and elongated, they cast Keith into darkness from where he perched atop a partly demolished wall. 

He swung his feet like a child, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his lighter and a pack of cigarettes. He tapped the box against his thigh, sliding out a cig and slipping it between his lips. Flicking open his lighter, he held it against the end of the cigarette until it caught the small flame, setting it aglow in a vibrant orange. 

He took a drag of the cigarette, swirling the smoke around his mouth as he traced the insignia carved into the lighter with his calloused thumb. The dying sunlight caught in it’s metallic surface, and he watched in idle fascination as it flickered while he tilted the lighter from side to side. 

He returned his focus to the alley before him, sliding the lighter back into his coat pocket where it had taken permanent residence since his childhood. He exhaled, observing how the smoke twirled in thin silver veils as it coiled and faded into the already polluted sky. 

“Oh, somebody’s early,” a voice snapped Keith from his observations and returned his attention to the alley before him. 

A child-sized figure stood across from him, smirking as they adjusted the strap of the heavy duffle bag that hung from their narrow shoulders. 

Keith sighed, pulling the cig from his lips and leaving it loosely perched between his index and middle finger as he slid off of his uncomfortable seat. 

He narrowed his eyes at the Imp as dropped down onto the earth and snorted, “Actually, you’re late, Pidge.”

Pidge laughed, revealing a mouth full of tiny sharp teeth. They returned their cat-like eyes to the boy before them, glasses glinting from the dying sunlight as it caught on the cracked lenses. “Oh well,” they swung the bag from their shoulders, setting it on the filthy ground as they crouched down and rummaged through it. 

After what seemed like a couple minutes, they sat back on their heels and slid a purple plastic folder covered with stickers from its confines in their backpack. The Imp held it out to Keith, eyebrow raised expectantly, “Money, please~” they sang, waving the folder in front of him. 

Keith rolled his eyes and pulled out a wad of cash wrapped in a black hair tie. “Take it, you gremlin.” he tossed the money towards Pidge, who caught it in their free hand. 

They inspected it closely, honey colored eyes narrowed skeptically. They passed Keith the folder once they deemed the payment satisfactory. He tucked it under his arm as he took another drag from his cig. 

Pidge stuffed the cash into their bag, pulling it shut tight and swinging it over their shoulder. They stood back up, rocking back on their heels. “I’m giving you a pretty good discount, bud,” they said as they adjusted their rounded glasses that slid down their nose, “but I might have to be charging you full price because this shit’s hard to get.”

It was Keith’s turn to raise an eyebrow, “I thought friends got a discount?”

The information broker snorted, “Sure, but not when the information is gonna get me locked in a trunk with my head chopped off.” 

“That’s your  _ job _ .”

Pidge shrugged, running a pale freckled hand through their mess of chestnut hair, “Still.” Their casual demeanour dropped, however. They frowned at him, all joking vanished from their face as they narrowed their eyes. “Seriously, Keith. This is some fucked up shit, even by my standards. I had to lose three contacts to get this info for you,  _ three.  _ You’re messing with some very powerful people, Kogane.” 

“I know.”

“But Keith-”

“I know what I’m getting myself into, Pidge.” he snapped, glaring down at his friend who returned his scowl. He sighed, noting the genuine concern in Pidge’s features and lifted his hand to massage his brow. “I can’t just- I can’t just leave him. You know that.” He attempted to smile comfortingly at his old friend, who only scowled further and tightened their grip on the strap of their duffle bag. 

After a few seconds of being locked in a silent staring battle, Pidge looked away. They ran their hand through their hair again, “I know,” They turned back to the raven-haired man, smiling faintly, “I know.” 

The sun had almost completely disappeared beneath the horizon, casting the entire clearing into shadow. The only light that guided them was the flickering bulb of an old lamppost tucked neatly in a corner and the faint glow of Keith’s cigarette. 

Pidge let out another sigh, “I’ve got to go,” they mumbled, adjusting their bag and turning to leave. They looked back over their shoulder, eyebrows knitted in poorly disguised worry, “Just be careful, Keith.”

Keith smiled and huffed out a laugh, “You know I never am.” 

At that, Pidge snorted before turning their back and walking back into the alley from where they came. The light from the lamppost no longer reached them, so they were swallowed by the looming shadows of the night.

Keith took on last drag from his cigarette before dropping it and putting it out with his boot. He waited until Pidge left the vicinity, their footsteps echoing throughout the clearing as the sounds of their departure faded into the deafening chaos of the city; before he turned to take his own leave.

**Author's Note:**

> TW: smoking  
> (is that a trigger? this is just in case)  
> uhh how'd u like it? I've spent my whole life just writing descriptive and lyrical poetry and im trying out narrative stories so I LOVE CRITICISM. i tend to be over descriptive, so if you want me to tone it down then pls let me know. i don't wanna j r r Tolkien this even though he's my writing hero. also, is this language im using ok? bc i feel like im slipping into Poet Mode.  
> update schedules are random, but i plan to finish this. bear with me


End file.
